COVID-19: New Zealand delays border re-opening

New Zealand was to move to non-quarantine travel for New Zealanders currently in Australia from 16 January, has been pushed back to the end of February. The postponement was announced by NZ’s COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins at a Wellington press conference yesterday (Tuesday 21 December), as a reaction to the more transmissible Omicron variant.

Changed quarantine and pre-departure test requirements

New Zealand is also increasing the amount of quarantine time from 1 week to 10 days, and the pre-departure test requirement to enter New Zealand has been reduced from 72 hours to 48 hours before travel.

Air New Zealand will cancel 120 flights to the end of February as a result of the push-back.

New Zealand has reported 22 cases of the Omicron variant, fortunately, all in the border quarantine facilities with no community spread as yet.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

I have already rescheduled a trip to New Zealand twice. Third time lucky?